Abortion Politics – Republicans Get Off in Tall Weeds

At the start of the Fox News debate, Republicans appeared to have the advantage on the abortion issue due to Planned Parenthood fighting off charges of selling body parts, to the overused meme of the “war on women” losing more male voters than winning women, and due to Republican candidates in 2014 appearing to manage the language of women’s social issues. But during the debate, the top three Republican candidates for president appeared to move to the fringes on abortion.

Marco Rubio, Scott Walker and Mike Huckabee all offered the no exception rule of abortion politics; that is, a total ban, no exception for the life of the mother.

That position reflects a quarter or less of the population, depending on how the question is worded in polls, with three-quarters of the population supporting some, if restricted, legal rights to an abortion.

CBS News
Question: Abortion should be generally available to those who want it or abortion should be available but under stricter limits than it is now or abortion should not be permitted.

Quinnipiac 
Question: Do you think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most case or illegal in all cases?